Railway-rail fastening.



No. 726,559: P-ATENTED APR. 28,1903.

R. G. MUSGROVE.

RAILWAY RAIL FASTENING. Arrmoumn FILED SEPT. 18, 1902.

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RAILAY- 'RAI L FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,559, dated April 28, 1903.

Application filed September 18,1902. Serial No. 123,944. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known thatI, ROBERT G. MUsGRovE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jack son, in the county of Hinds and State of Mississippi, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railway-Rail Fastenings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in railway-rail fastenings-21 6., means for connecting railway-rails to cross-ties; and it has for its general object to provide a rail-fastening calculated to connect rails to cross-ties in such manner that spreading of the rails is precluded and also in such manner that at curves the great pressure and strain imposed on the outer rails incident to the passage of trains are distributed between the outer and inner rails, and the liability of said outer rails being displaced is reduced to a minimum.

Other advantageous features of the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claim when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan View of a portion of a railway constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a transverse section taken on the broken line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a perspective view of the tie-bar forming part of my improved rail-fastening, and Fig. 4 a similar View of one of the rail-engaging blocks embraced in the fastening.

Similar lettersof reference designate corresponding parts in allof the views of the drawings, referring to which- A A are the cross-ties of a railway, which are preferably of wood, and B B are rails arranged on the cross-ties in the ordinary manner.

The several rail-fastenings illustrated are similar in construction, and therefore a detailed description of the fastening shown in Fig. 2 will suffice to impart an understanding of all. The said fastening comprises a tie-bar 0, preferably of steel, rail-engaging blocks D, also preferably of Steel, and means, preferably nails or spikes E, for connecting said tie-bar O and blocks D together and to the cross-tie A, on which they are arranged. The tie-bar is of a length to rest beneath and extend between opposite rails-2 c., rails at opposite sides of the track-and it is provided at its ends with abutments a, shaped to conform to and rest at the outer sides of the rails and flush with the treads thereof. It is also provided, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, with apertures b for the passage of nails or spikes E. The rail-engaging blocks D,which are arranged on the tie-bar between opposite rails, Fig. 2, have their outer ends a shaped to conform to and bear against the inner sides of the portions of the rails below the heads and also have apertures 61, arranged to coincide with the apertures 19 of the tie-bar and receive the nails or spikes E, which connect the blocks and tie-bar together and to the cross-tie A.

In the practice of my invention the tie-bar O is nailed to the cross-tie in the position shown, and the rails are arranged on said tiebar and against the abutments a, thereof, after which the blocks D are arranged on the tie-bar and against the inner sides of the rails and are connected to the tie-bar and the crosstie through the medium of nails or spikes E, as best shown at theright 'of Fig. 2. When the fastening is applied to the meeting ends of rails, an example of which is shown in Fig. l, I prefer, precedent to connecting the tiebar to the cross-bar, to drive nails or spikes into the cross-tie just where the rails meet, after which the tie-bar is placed on the crosstie close up to said nails and nailed to the crosstie.

When the rails and the parts of my improved fastenings are relatively arranged as described in the foregoing, it will be seen that the rails are supported and reinforced at either side and spreading or casual outward movement of the rails, which is the cause of so many disastrous accidents, is effectually prevented; also, that when the fastenings are located at curves they will serve to distribute between the outer rails and the inner rails the great strain and pressure imposed on the outer rails incident to the passage of trains, and thereby reduce the liability of accident and prolong the usefulness of the track. It will further be observed that my improved fastenings render unnecessary the employ ment of fish-plates and their appurtenances, and that they embody no parts such as are Having described my invention, what I- claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, in a railway-rail fastening, of a wood sleeper or cross-tie, opposite rails, the one-piece metal tie-bar interposed between the cross-tie and the opposite rails,

and having nail-holes, and also having abutments at its ends, shaped. to conform to and bear against the outer sides of the opposite rails, and rest flush with the treads thereof, metal blocks arranged on the tie-bar between the opposite rails, and having nail-holes c0- incident with those of the tie-bar, and also having their outer ends shaped to occupy the spaces between the heads and the bases of the rails at the inner sides thereof, and nails extending through the coincident holes of the blocks and tie-bar, and connecting the same together and to the cross-tie.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT G. MUSGROVE.

Witnesses:

J. B. STIRLING, D. H. HOLDER. 

